Former Governor (and now United States Senator) Rick Scott praised The Villages in a recent interview with The Villages Daily Sun.

The developer has been a big supporter of Rick Scott, and Scott has visited the community many times over the years.

“Like so many vibrant, growing communities around our state, the progress and success of The Villages is a testament to Florida’s booming economic turnaround over the past eight years,” Scott said in a recent exclusive Daily Sun interview. [The Villages Daily Sun]

In other news…

It’s been a few months since we’ve talked about new sinkholes popping up, which is great, but the sinkholes that occurred over the last year or so are still causing headaches for those that live nearby [Villages-News]

+1: In my book Inside the Bubble I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the sinkhole situation here in The Villages. Grab your copy here.

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The Project Wide Advisory Committee (PWAC) is considering spending $340,000 to install chair lifts at pools that do not yet have them. Residents seem to be near evenly split as to whether this is a good use of funds. [Villages-News]

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According to Villages-News, nearly 400 golf carts turned out for the Villagers for Trump club turned out last Saturday for a “Build the Wall” golf cart parade:

Actor Gary Sinise, known by many for his role as Lieutenant Dan in the movie Forrest Gump is coming to Savannah Center on February 21. At the time of this writing a very limited number of tickets are still available.

For years Gary has been an advocate for military veterans, first responders, their families, and others in need through his Gary Sinise Foundation, and he has recently written a book titled “Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service”. [The Villages Entertainment]

In other news…

The Villages again claims the top spot as the Top-Selling Master-Planned Community in the country with 2,134 new home sales in 2018. [John Burns Real Estate Consulting]

Another Florida community, Lakewood Ranch, was runner up with 1,482 new home sales last year.

Not all of Lakewood Ranch is 55+, but Del Webb at Lakewood Ranch is a 55+ active adult community located in the within the master-planned community near Sarasota, FL.

Del Webb at Lakewood Ranch offers a collection of single-family homes and low-maintenance attached villas designed to fit your lifestyle. There are currently 10 home designs to choose from starting in the mid-$200k’s.

Just when you thought you had the rules of golf figured out, the powers that be go and change them.

Golf’s two main governing bodies have put into effect a handful of rule changes designed to make the game of golf accessible to more people. [The Villages Daily Sun]

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If you are reading this on the weekend it was published, you might want to check out the 10th Annual Lake Sumter Art & Craft Festival, with more than 200 talented artists and creators exhibiting their works.

Longtime fans of this popular event may notice that it is taking place about a month earlier than normal this year. The event takes place both Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, and admission is free.

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2018 was a record year for my Agent Referral Program, where I set readers up with my preferred agent in The Villages. Spots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Learn more and get on his calendar here.

They won’t open until 2020, but a “topping off” ceremony was recently held for the Center for Advanced Healthcare at Brownwood and the Brownwood Hotel & Spa.

The topping off ceremony marks the end of the structural framework for the two facilities and we should see quick progress throughout 2019. [The Villages Daily Sun]

In other news…

As Christmas fast approaches, here’s a great look at some of the various ways Villagers have given back this holiday season. [The Villages Daily Sun]

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Hopefully the fourth time’s the charm. The owner of several successful restaurants in The Villages including a handful of the country club restaurants, Scooples Ice Cream Parlor, and the recently opened Bluefin Grill & Bar in Brownwood is planning to open a restaurant called Chop House in the same space at Lake Sumter Landing that previously housed TGI Friday’s, Honest John’s Whiskey and Provisions, and the recently shuttered Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen and Bar. [Villages-News]

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Where’d you learn to drive like that?!?! Villages-News recently shared this car and cart dashcam footage showing some near misses and examples of bad driving around The Villages:

We’ve always known that The Villages was home to a lot of veterans, but now we have some actual data to back it up.

According to a recent American Community Survey, an estimated 19,370 veterans live in The Villages metropolitan statistical area, which is more than any other area in the country that doesn’t have a military base. [The Villages Daily Sun]

In other news…

A few weeks ago I mentioned that there was another golf cart fatality in The Villages, and that the person killed was not wearing a seat belt.

This week I came across an article that discusses just how few golf carts here actually have seat belts. [WUFT]

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Great news for those living on the southern portion of The Villages…the new ER near Brownwood announced last year has begun the permitting process. [The Villages Daily Sun]

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Last call! This weekend is really your last chance to order my book with any hopes of it arriving by Christmas.

All of my books are printed on demand, which can take 3-5 days, and then they ship via USPS Priority Mail which is 2-3 days service to most places, but with the holiday shipping crunch, I’d add a day or two to that estimate.

Here’s a list of all my books and where to order:

Inside the Bubble: Unauthorized Guide to Florida’s Most Popular Community | Learn more or ORDER HERE

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